November 7, 2022 - 11:00 am - 1:00 pm MST
Researchers, activists, and front-line service providers have continually confirmed the vital importance of collaboration to address violence against women and children and have long called for increased coordination across all sectors, levels, and responses to domestic violence. Such a methodology means working across disciplines and agencies to encourage an integrated and consistent approach that holistically engages with the justice, health care, child protection, social services, immigrant settlement, and education systems, and accounts for the unique needs of Indigenous women and other diverse groups. The Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) has taken these calls seriously and has built collaboration into its very mandate.
This workshop will outline the unique needs of victims and survivors of domestic violence, with special attention to the needs of victims and survivors from communities that have been marginalized, as well as how ACWS has used collaborative projects to address and advocate for those needs. This workshop will ask participants to explore the questions: How can we maximize the impact of collaborations? What would you ideally like to gain from collaborations with other agencies and organizations? How can we ensure that all collaborations remain victim/survivor-centered, and tailored to meet the unique needs of the individual? This workshop will be delivered in a flexible, welcoming, inclusive, and accessible manner, and will promote a safe and non-judgmental sharing environment.
Email your completed Registration Form to pcvi-cpcv@justice.gc.ca
Jan Reimer (she/her) Executive Director Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
Jan Reimer recently celebrated her 20th year as Executive Director at the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS), where she has served as a well-known resource on gendered violence prevention and intervention. Under her leadership, ACWS hosted the first-ever World Conference of Women’s Shelters. More than 800 delegates from 51 countries attended. As a result of this conference, shelters were able to exchange practices and learn from one another. The conference also provided the impetus for both a Canadian and a Global Network of Women’s Shelters. Jan Reimer is a founding member of both organizations and was invited in 2015 to present at the 3rd World Conference of Women’s Shelters in The Hauge, Netherlands. The fourth World Conference was held in Taiwan in 2019.
Nicole Orji (she/they) Coordinator of Member Supports and Special Projects Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
Nicole Orji (she/ they) is a Haudenosaunee woman who has worked to create healthy, safe and inclusive communities in Nistawâyâw (Fort McMurray) for the past 10 years. Holding a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario, Nicole brings both a research-based and a social justice lens to her violence against women work. Working as a Librarian and an Outreach Manager, they advocate for accessible, barrier-free, and culturally safe programs and services for communities and individuals. She is a compassionate leader who looks to Indigenize and decolonize spaces while challenging the status quo. They are guided by humility and curiosity, own a cat and are an avid volunteer
Miranda Pilipchuk (she/her) Research and Evaluation Coordinator Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
Miranda Pilipchuk (she/her) received her Ph.D. in philosophy at Villanova University, specializing in gender-based violence, feminist theory, critical race theory, decolonial theory, and legal theory. Before joining the ACWS, she worked as an adjunct professor and social justice facilitator at Villanova, and as the managing editor of Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy. Miranda has received several research awards and fellowships, including a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, the Sir James Lougheed Award of Distinction, the Villanova Gender and Women’s Studies Graduate Research Award, and the Greater Philadelphia Women’s Studies Consortium Graduate Research Award. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and encyclopedias, as well on public blogs.
Jill Shillabeer (she/her) Leading Change Call to Action Coordinator Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
Jill Shillabeer works to bring shelter-informed primary prevention education and training across Alberta. Jill is a senior policy, strategy, and operations professional, and experienced facilitator, trainer, and public speaker who has been working in equity and inclusion since 2013. She has worked in multiple sectors including non-profit, social innovation, cultural industries, post-secondary, and public service. No matter the setting, Jill seeks opportunities to help individuals engage with their own agency to make the world more equitable and create spaces for marginalized voices. She employs an intersectional feminist and anti-oppressive lens to help find new ways to address old problems.
Olivia Street (she/her) Coordinator of Communications & Social Advocacy Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
In her role at ACWS, Olivia is responsible for media relations, public awareness, and supporting the organization and its members in their work to meet the needs of abused women and their families. She holds a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Alberta and has held professional communications positions in both non-profit and corporate environments. Olivia is also a mother and an accomplished musician, with an extensive background as an arts administrator and consultant
Melanie Willerth (they/she) Program Development & Training Coordinator Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters
Mel Willerth is responsible for supporting member shelters and making sure they have access to the training they need to work effectively. Mel holds a Master’s degree from the University of Calgary in Communication and Media Studies and has spent much of her career in the non-profit sector, working with families, youth, and children. In 2020, Mel was awarded the Ruby award from the Soroptimist International of Central Alberta for organizing a fundraiser show of the Vagina Monologues in Central Alberta; the event raised over $17,000 for organizations that help women and 2SLGBTQ folks experiencing violence. She is an experienced educator, having taught Sociology at Red Deer College, and is passionate about pop culture, media representation, and getting more women and non-binary folks involved in craft beer culture
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